A beautiful spring morning in Sydney, even though it is technically the last week of winter! Outside is developing into a warm and sunny day, inside is developing into some wonderful dancing, starting with the Beginner, Primary and Elementary sections for 6, 7, 8 & 9 Years.

These are some of the youngest competitors, just starting their dancing careers. The Penrith Gaels Club is packed full of proud parents and families, all here to watch the "little faeries" as Miss Jan calls the youngest dancers. The room is absolutely quiet as they dance, with everyone's attention focused on the tiny figures on stage, dwarfed by the Southern Cross sign behind them. Once they finish their step, there is loud applause from all the hall and the dancers leave the stage beaming!

After these sections dance, the 11 & 12 Years will compete, followed by the teams sections.

In the 11 Years Girls Premiership, six dancers are competing for the Hall-Struthers Perpetual Trophy.

In the 11 & 12 Years Boys Premiership, two dancers are competing for the henderson Belt.

In the 12 Years Girls Premiership, six dancers are competing for the Henderson Family Trophy.

They will be followed by assorted older age groups doing other assorted dances....well, we are vague because some are doing their soft shoe round and others are doing.....stay tuned, all will be revealed!

A LiveCam viewer noted that the video stream seems to freeze; I thought that this was a problem at the server end but after checking, it is me (nothing new there!) Just downloaded the latest version of the software, and it seems "less better :)" than the previous version. So until they provide a patch, the problem may continue.

6 & 7 Years are now sitting patiently, if somewhat excitedly, in marshalling.

Gourmet Food Update
A regular and important part of our service is sacrificing ourselves for you by trying all the food and drink available at venues, in order that you, the dear reader, has an unbiased opinion of the food options available. So, in keeping with tradition, we have done the same today and are please to provide this brief report....

Whilst ChaosCentral was organising itself, the feis has continued at a cracking pace!! The 9 Years have done their first two rounds and are now part way through their set dances. They are dancing on a wooden stage constructed specially for the event - there is no tarquet so every step and foot action is clearly audible to the adjudicator.

This is a well-attended feis; there are schools from NSW, QLD, ACT, VIC, NZ and Ireland!!!

Sydney has awoken to a thick blanket of fog, shrouding the natural beauty of the landscape but teasing us with better things to come. Spring has sprung and we are looking forward to a warm and sunny day.

The feis is getting under way soon, and we are looking forward to a weekend of fine dancing. This is the 33rd year that this feis has run and there are many famous names on the perpetual trophies.

The teams sections are about half way through and the hall is now almost completely full as parents and dancers assemble for the Dance of Champions. All the extra bodies in the hall has made it quite warm and toasty!

We are having a break for lunch - the feis is running very early and there are only seven teams sections to finish. It is anticipated that the Dance of Champions will be on around 1430 and than means that LiveCommentary will finish around 1500. Photos will be available on www.swoose.net after ChaosCentral returns to SYD.

Gourmet food update
Bonnie Parfitt's chocolate crackles have been sampled and we are pleased to report that they are of an excellent quality, with hidden marshmallows and smarties to provide unexpected pleasure to the consumer. During our taste test, Colleen Manuel tried to distract and tempt the tasting panel with scones and cream but, on your behalf, we remained resolute and stuck to the chocolate crackle (figuratively, not literally).

The feis will recommence on time and we look forward to the team dances.

The set dances have been progressing nicely and now the adjudicators have just enjoyed a little rest from the dancing. Cups of teas refreshed, the set dances will continue!

The hall is about half full, it is nice and warm inside and outside it is overcast and cold. Brief flashes of sunshine lure the dancing parents into the misguided impression that it may be warm outside - but the sunny interludes are very brief - it is Canberra in winter after all!

Only another ten sets until presentations - the feis is probably running about an hour early.

Another day of competition is about to start, the dancers are ready, the stage is ready and the adjudicators are ready. So is the canteen, which is stocked to overflowing with cakes, sweets and - YES - chocolate crackles!!!!

In the Sub Minor Girls 7 Years, four dancers are competing for the Tir Eoghain Trophy donated by Lynn Crafter, and the Parfitt Family Tiara.

In the Sub Minor Girls 8 Years, nine dancers are competing for a Trophy donated by Mrs S Lathlain, and the Liz Gregory Tiara.

In the Minor Girls 9 Years, six dancers are competing for a trophy donated by Anne-Marie Dimmock, and the Simpson Family Tiara.

In the Minor Girls 10 Years, five dancers are competing for a trophy donated by the Cleary Family, and the Simpson Family Tiara.

In the Minor Boys 9 Years, one dancer is competing for the Driscoll Family Shield.

In the Intermediate Boys 13 Years, three dancers are competing.

In the Senior Boys 16 Years, two dancers are competing for a trophy donated by Kathryn Trenholme.

Teams

In the Under 11 Girls 4 Hand, four teams are competing for a trophy donated by Trish Williams.

In the Under 13 Girls 4 Hand, two teams are competing for a the Sue Beaton Memorial Trophy donated by Liz & Fiona Beaton.

In the Under 11 Mixed 4 Hand, one team is competing for the Shamrock Trophy donated by Terry O'Connor.

In the Under 13 Mixed 4 Hand, one team is competing for the Dungarvon Cup donated by Siobhan ni Faolain.

In the Under 11 Girls 8 Hand, one team is competing for the GMH Electrical Trophy donated by Gary Hallissey.

In the Under 13 Girls 8 Hand, one team is competing for the Deloughery O'Hehir Perpetual Trophy donated by Lynn Crafter.

The feis is as Dickson College, with a stunning new background against which the dancers are competing - photos on www.swoose.net

And speaking of photos, the fantastic John van Rijswijk, a long-time ACT supported of Irish Dancing and a professional photographer to boot, has provided photos taken today at the presentations, whilst ChaosCentral was travelling back from CHC. Many thanks John for allowing the photos to be put onto the site :)

The adjudicators are:

Jan Berne ADCRG, NSW

Carmel Doyle ADCRG, SA

Cherie Hearn ADCRG, QLD

The music is, again, by iPod.

Dancing and trophy details

In the Junior Girls 11 Years, seven dancers are competing for a trophy donated by J & S Cronin and the McGrath Family Tiara.

In the Junior Boys 11 Years, one dancer is competing for a trophy donated by Terry O'Connor ADCRG.

In the Junior Girls 12 Years, eight dancers are competing for a trophy donated by Mrs M Murphy and Mrs A Batey and the Jean Muir Thompson Memorial Tiara donated by the Dulley Family.

In the Intermediate Girls 13 Years, two dancers are competing for a trophy donated by JoeSalib and the AIDA ACT Tiara.

In the Junior Girls 14 Years, six dancers are competing for a trophy donated by Trish & Tony Williams and the AIDA ACT Tiara.

In the Senior Girls 15 Years, four dancers are competing for a trophy donated by the Canberra Irish Club.

In the Senior Girls 16 Years, six dancers are competing for the Spencer Family Trophy.

In the Junior Ladies 17 Years, four dancers are competing for the Monaro Folk Society Trophy.

In the Junior Ladies 18 Years, two dancers are competing for the Tir an Oir Dancers Trophy.

In the Ladies 19 Years, four dancers are competing for the Deise Trophy donated by the Petelczyc Family.

In the Senior Ladies 20 Years & Over, nine dancers are competing for the Lathlain Williams Shield and the Tir an Oir Dancers Tiara.

In the Junior Boys 12 Years, one dancer is competing for the Omagh Memorial Trophy donated by Liz Gregory.

In the Intermediate Boys 14 Years, two dancers are competing.

In the Junior Men 18 Years, one dancer is competing.

In the Senior Men 20 Years & Over, one dancer is competing for the Waterford Trophy donated by Siobhan ni Faolain.

Teams Trophies & numbers

In the Under 16 Girls 4 Hand, two teams are competing for the McGrath Family Trophy.

In the Open Girls 4 Hand, three teams are competing for the Reid McGrath Trophy donated by Joan Reid-McGrath.

In the Under 16 Mixed 4 Hand, two teams are competing for the Haeusler Family Trophy.

In the open Mixed 4 Hand, one team is competing.

In the Under 16 Girls 8 Hand, one team is competing for the Mary Halpin Memorial Trophy donated by the van Rijswijk Family.

In the Open Girls 8 Hand, three teams are competing.

In the Under 16 Mixed 8 Hand, two teams are competing for the Schultz Family Trophy.

In the Open Mixed 8 Hand, two teams are competing for a trophy donated by Celtic Soles.

There is one dancer left to compete - just one - but her set dance music won't play correctly. A call has gone out to find a copy of the music at the correct speed, so the dancer can compete and we can all go home :)

A highlight of this feis, and sadly missing from yesterday, is the annual "gathering of the students" that happend when the 15 years and older age groups are competing. This spectacle adds to the enjoyment of the feis by all participants. It works like this....

The feis is run in the grounds of St Gregory's College, which is a day and boarding school for boys. Usually when the aforementioned age groups compete, the boys ring the upper auditorium to appreciate the finer points of dancing, something they are probably not taught as part of their school curricula. It is always wonderful to see a large group of teenage boys jostling to get a better view of the complex dancing techniques.

Yesterday, the boys were not here - they were on their way back from a football match in Bathurst.

Just now, some of the boarders did make a brief appearance at the balcony to watch - not as many as in previous years, but it is good to see a tradition kept alive. Perhaps some of them may take up Irish Dancing because of it? :)

A dull and overcast day outside, but a sparkling day for dancing inside! After an entertaining night with members of the Campbelltown Irish Association, ChaosCentral is back on duty, now with extra technology!

In a scene reminiscent of a bad 1960s SciFi movie, we have now taken over a table with multiple networked computers and cameras, all in an effort to keep the LiveCommentary, LiveCam and photography operational and timely. It almost looks like an Apple Ad :)

The 11 & 12 Year sections are dancing this morning, followed by presentations and lunch, then the 13 & 14 Years this afternoon.

Once again, the canteen is filled to overflowing with cakes, hot and cold food and all sorts of essential comestibles for a feis. And talk about dedication, one of the stalwarts of the feis is Margie Brennan who, with her sister, was up to all hours on Friday and Saturday night baking the cupcakes featured in the photos yesterday. Today is her birthday!

It appears that the MarshallingCam has finally died - not comprehensively, but enough so that its wireless connectivity is no longer operational. It seems unreasonable to lay 150m of CAT5 to connect it, so it is useless for my requirements.

Since I put the donation button on my sites about two months ago, 11 people have kindly donated and I will use their donations for a new, more reliable wireless camera to use as a MarshallingCam and/or remote cameras.

The sausage sandwiches fo this morning have sold out but have been replaced by a batch of chocolate crackles from Chez Chaumont. Initial taste testing is inconclusive, so ChaosCentral will sacrifice itself and have another half-dozen or so to ensure that they are of the quality expected of this feis. That may not leave too many for the remaining populace, but we only do this to ensure the highest0quality reporting is brought to you.

In "real" feis-related matters, the 10 Years dancers are on stage in their soft shoe round, dancing three at a time.

The littlies are dancing away and having a great time, one can tell by the expression on their faces that they are enjoying themselves and the marshalls are helping them along so they know where to stand, where to leave the stage and when to stop and smile.

Some of these dancers are so tiny that they are almost hidden on the stage, but they are all beaming as they dance.

The 7 & 8 Years are now on stage doing their hard shoe dances - it was just announced that the age groups will be dancing interleaved (Julia, did you read that?) to allow the dancers time to catch their breath :)

A crisp Sydney morning greets competitors at today's dancing - and a significant improvement from Christchurch from here ChaosCentral has just arrived.

The Campbelltown Irish Association are renowned for organising and running a fantastic competition, and this competition is possibly the only one run by an Irish Association rather than directly by AIDA or a school.